BCS Rankings: Michigan and More Good Teams Likely to Get Screwed

The BCS may be solidified at the top, with LSU and Alabama all but destined for "Game of the Century: Part Deux" for the national title, but the rest of the picture is still a mess.

That certainly applies to the at-large bids, of which there will likely be but one left over after Stanford, Houston and, of course, the Crimson Tide have been accounted for. These three teams will all be in the running for that last spot, though each could just find itself left without a seat when college football's version of musical chairs comes to a close.

Michigan

What's not to like about Michigan (unless you root for Ohio State, of course)? It has 10 wins under its belt, an exciting quarterback in Denard Robinson and, lest we forget, the unmistakable brand name that draws legions of fans decked out in maize and blue wherever it goes.

The only problem? The Wolverines aren't yet eligible for the BCS. They actually dropped a spot, from No. 15 to No. 16, after beating the Buckeyes on Saturday for the first time since 2003.

According to the BCS selection procedures, a team cannot earn an at-large bid if it isn't ranked among the top 14 by the pollsters and the computers at season's end.

Granted, that could all change between now and next Sunday. Michigan figures to leapfrog the loser of the Big Ten title game, between Michigan State and Wisconsin, and Georgia, assuming the Bulldogs get crushed by LSU.

As likely as it is that those scenarios will play out, the fact that the BCS has yet to hail to the victors suggests that there could be some more funny business afoot, the sort that would send the Wolverines to, say, the Gator Bowl or the Capital One Bowl.

Kansas State

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Now, if Michigan does get the nod, then Kansas State will be the first team in line to gripe to the powers that be. With a victory over Iowa State on Saturday, Bill Snyder's squad will have secured a 10-win season, with its two losses coming against No. 3 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Oklahoma.

The rest of the Wildcats' resume isn't great, though it does feature wins over Baylor and Missouri, both of whom are currently ranked in the top 25 by the BCS.

From an popularity standpoint, though, K-State doesn't carry nearly as much cachet, as much sex appeal, among casual college football fans as Michigan does.

Then again, this whole discussion will be rendered moot if the Sooners upset the Cowboys in the Bedlam Game, as K-State would be left out as the Big 12's third wheel.

Boise State

And then there's Boise State. The Broncos are probably still kicking themselves over that one-point loss to TCU at home in mid-November.

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If not for that, we might be talking about a matchup between LSU and Boise State for the crystal football.

Instead, Kellen Moore and company may once again be crowded out of the 10-team field by the vanities of college football's beauty contest. More specifically, no BCS bowl commission will want to invite the Smurf Turfers to dance if it doesn't have to.

Houston's undefeated run through Conference USA and into the No. 6 slot, just ahead of Boise State, would be justification enough for the folks in control to bite the non-AQ bullet with the Cougars and leave the Broncos at home to practice their field goals through a long, cold winter in Idaho.